Who is Low Carbing it?

[Deleted]

Are you following a "canned" low carb diet such as Atkins, South Beach, etc?

What are some of your favorite low carb meals?

How long have you been able to stick with it?

How much weight have you lost?

Have you been able to maintain it?

[Jaguar]

My DS swears by low carbing it whenever she gets 5 lbs over her desired weight.

[steph08]

If you're running, you really don't want to follow a low carb diet. Reduced maybe, but carbs are your energy/fuel for running. Without them, it makes running a lot harder.

If you're not running, go for it - but being in Italy and on a low carb diet - mamma mia! I don't think I could do it!

[Deleted]

Well I don't know what else to do. I am going to the gym, I am running (only 2-3 minute intervals for 30 minutes), and counting calories...and I am STILL 130. I haven't lost any weight at all.

Yes, it will be hard in Italy, but I can cook low carb at home. I can choose low carb at restaurants (not everything is pasta , and I can cut back o my wine consumption. No wine for 2 weeks will be tough, BUT if I can get my metabolism going again...it will be worth it. I can starting having some wine again after Phase 1. Not a lot...but some.

[Frappuccino]

I just bought a George Stella low-carb cookbook. I plan to make some low-carb meals & desserts, but not follow a specific plan. I already know that my weaknesses are chocolate, starbucks, & tapatio doritos! So, that is where I need to cut back to start dropping some lbs.

I think 130lbs is a low enough weight to skip the induction phase of any diet you do. Good luck

[sarcasticgirl]

carbs aren't your fuel/energy. What do you think people did before bread and rice and pasta?

I follow the primal way of eating... similar to paleo but not as restrictive. Basically, meat/poutry/seafood, veggies, fruit, nuts and dairy in moderation.

I worked my a$$ off a few years ago trying to drop some pounds following the standard recommended diet. ate the "right" amount of calories, carbs, fat, protein etc. worked out 5-6 days a week and i have little progress.
The minute I dropped all that processed stuff... all the flour, sugar, whole grains etc. life got a million times easier. Eating this way makes me feel awesome. I don't get slugish... nor do i even get hungry that often. The crazy thing was, i could eat 1500 calories before and be starving. eating primal, i could totally get by on 1000 calories a day. of course, i don't do that... because that's horrible for you. The key to this is that you keep protein up, carbs down (because unless you're eating tons of fruit and nuts, you simply won't have a high carb count) and add in extra fats... your body will burn the fats as energy instead of carbs.
My blood pressure, which was starting to run a bit high, dropped down to normal. I have plenty of energy to workout and strength train. actually, way more energy than before when i was eating the good ol' american recommended diet... complete with whole grain!
This month i went astray a bit on the primal eating. a week ago I noticed that i was dragging a$$ like crazy. I couldn't get up for morning workouts. I was downing coffee like crazy... nothing helped. I realized i'd been eating sugar and flour again and cut that out. within 2 days I was feeling great again!

you can totally low carb in italy... the wonderful secondi meals of meat and veggies are totally the way to go. cut back and have pasta or bread only occasionally


there's a great book by gary taubes called "why we get fat" it talks about the influx of obesity since flour and sugar came into mainstream, and how it's been climbing since "low fat" diets became a fad. eyeopening and educational!

[Jaguar]

sarcasticgirl ~ Is there any good diet book or cook book on Eating Primal ? I would be interested in trying this.

[kittensaver]

robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/

[moon/Laura]

I just started a diet on sunday that is paleo inspired. I don't intend to be mega strict on it, but i AM sticking to meat, veggies fruits and some nuts for the most part. i do allow myself a little leeway, and i also eat canned tuna and chicken even though you're not supposed to on it.

the question is, how long before i'm bored with the limitations?

I started this after seeing my sister's boyfriend lose 60 pounds on it. My sis has lost 20. But he's way stricter than she is.

[Deleted]

I don't know if I can ever do a diet that restricts sweets. I mean, I don't eat a lot of them...but I do like a square of dark chocolate probably every other day.
I don't know what I am going to do. Yes 130 lbs doesn't sound like a lot...but I am 5'1. My BMI is round 25. That is going into the overweight catagory for my size. AND I LOOK chubby. I will admit to being an impatient person. I don't want to wait a year to lose 15 pounds. I don't want to only lose a pound a month. I would like to lose a pound a week or every 2 weeks.

[Deleted]

Angel, are you disciplined...do you have will power?

Here is the original high protein low fat and no carb diet. They say you can lose 14 pounds in 14 days. It is called The Scarsdale Diet...(just google Scarsdale diet). There are many variations on this theme.

(Just eat healthy and stay active...but I digress.)

Scarsdale diet menu does not indicate any portion. You can eat as much as you like until you are satisfied, not stuffed.

Breakfast in Scarsdale diet menu is the same everyday:

Scarsdale free diet plan indicates that one half of grapefruit is the best fruit for breakfast, however it can be substituted for other fruits in season.

One slice of protein bread, toasted, no spread added.
Coffee or tea (no sugar, cream or milk, no honey).

Monday

Lunch:
Assorted cold cuts
Tomatoes - sliced, broiled, or stewed
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Fish or shellfish, any kind Combination salad, any greens and vegetables as you wish
One slice protein bread toasted Grapefruit - if not available, use fruits in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Tuesday

Lunch:
Plenty of broiled, lean hamburger
Tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives (limit 4), cucumbers and/or Brussels Sprouts
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Fruit salad, any combination of fruits
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Wednesday

Lunch:
Tuna fish or salmon salad (oil drained off) with lemon and vinegar dressing
Grapefruit, or melon, or fruit in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Sliced roast lamb*, all visible fat removed
Salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

* Can be substituted with fish, seafood, chicken or turkey

Thursday

Lunch:
Two eggs, any style (no fat used in cooking)
Low-fat cottage cheese
Zucchini, or string beans, or sliced/stewed tomatoes
One slice of protein bread, toasted
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Roast, broiled or barbequed chicken (skin and visible fat removed before eating)
Plenty of spinach, green peppers, string beans
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Friday

Lunch:
Assorted cheese slices (preferably low fat)
Spinach, all you want
One slice of protein bread, toasted
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Fish or shellfish
Combination salad (any fresh vegetables desired, raw or cooked)
One slice of protein bread, toasted
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Saturday

Lunch:
Fruit salad, any combination of fruits
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Roast turkey or chicken
Salad of tomatoes and lettuce
Grapefruit or fruit in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Sunday

Lunch:
Cold or hot turkey or chicken
Tomatoes, carrots, cooked cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower
Grapefruit, or fruit in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Plenty of broiled (grilled) steak, all visible fat removed before eating; any cut of steak you wish- sirloin, porterhouse, London broil, etc.
Salad of lettuce, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes (sliced or cooked)
Brussels Sprouts
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

[Reckless Roselia]

They say you can lose 14 pounds in 14 days. It is called The Scarsdale Diet...(just google Scarsdale diet). There are many variations on this theme.

Call it synchronicity but my lil sister was telling me about this diet last night and I thought why not? I'll give it a try but what after the 14 days? Do I continue with the same diet?

But you can try the ''The Waterfall Diet: Lose Up to 14 Pounds in 7 Days by Controlling Water Retention''.

[Deleted]

Bobby, hmmm...that is an interesting diet. I am not disciplined at all...so it is probably out. I also get bored VERY easy. I need variety.

So for breakfast this morning I had
2 scrambled egg whites with yellow bell pepper, red onion, spinach. I also sliced a small tomato and ate that.

morning snack: 2 celery sticks with organic peanut butter (2tbs). Seriously the BEST peanut butter I have EVER had! OMG all I can think about is sticking a spoon in it and eating the whole damn jar! It is made with 5 ingredients and I can pronounce all of the words AND know what each of them are! Sooooo yummy.

Lunch will be a Mediterranean tuna salad.

[Deleted]

Oh and I went to the gym and did 10 minutes on this crazy machine (it was like an eliptical...but was more like a stair climber....I don't know what it is called) that made my legs feel like they were going to fall off. I seriously only could do 10 minutes it was so intense for me.

I also did 20 minutes on the treadmill. I did 30 crunches (hey don't judge I am working my way up)! Tomorrow I will do cardio and arms.

[Frappuccino]

I just googled protein bread. Their was a recipe for low card bread that can be baked in the oven! I will make some this weekend!

[Frappuccino]

You are on a roll with your healthy eating & exercise today ImaAngel! I feel inspired to get in gear starting right after work!

[thyme4change]

I did 30 crunches (hey don't judge I am working my way up)!

My daughter's gymnastics team just got a new assistant coach, and the other day when I picked her up my daughter was crying (trying to hold it together.) When we got in the car I asked her what was going on and she said the new coach did an ab work out and it HURT! And then she said "But I like it." LOL - you go girl!

[Deleted]

My legs still hurt.

So for dinner I had steak fajita. I didn't use a tortilla. I just piled the steak, peppers, onion, and sliced avocado on my plate. When I say pile...I don't mean I ate a lot. I had about 3 oz of steak lots of veggies and about half of an avocado. The steak was only seasoned with sea salt and pepper. I also used a tsp of salsa to give it extra flavor.

My afternoon snack was a Kashi bar. Yes, it had carbs. BUT at the end of the day, I am only at 77 carbs for the day. I did have a glass of white wine so that brought my totals up. In between meals and snacks I had hot green tea. That way I didn't snack all day long.

I don't know what is considered "low carb", but I figure if I reduce my carb intake then I can lose weight. I am a carb addict. Normally when I track my numbers my carb numbers are way over. The last 2 days I have been under by quite a bit. I am basing it on what livestrong says I should be eating a day.

[sarcasticgirl]

I don't have any primal or paleo cookbooks, but there are lots of online recipe sites... some of my faves:

paleomg.com/
civilizedcavemancooking.com/

This isn't a momentary diet for me... it's a lifestyle choice. For everyone who says "I can't give up pasta/sugar/flour"
well... that's simply not true. You can. It's just a matter of not wanting to.
The thing is. after a few weeks of eating meat, veggies, fruits, nuts and little dairy... I don't crave sugar or pasta. I want MEAT MEAT MEAT!
I am not Super strict... i do have allowances now and then, but few things are as good in reality as they are in my head. fresh baked bread will always be AMAZING... a ho-ho: not so much.

I haven't had great luck with paleo or primal breads. Most have made me want to gag. I did finally find a pretty great banana bread recipe that even my DH loved... he didn't even know that it lacked real flour and sugar!

[sarcasticgirl]

Aug 31, 2012 14:23:24 GMT -5 @angel33 said:

My legs still hurt.

So for dinner I had steak fajita. I didn't use a tortilla. I just piled the steak, peppers, onion, and sliced avocado on my plate. When I say pile...I don't mean I ate a lot. I had about 3 oz of steak lots of veggies and about half of an avocado. The steak was only seasoned with sea salt and pepper. I also used a tsp of salsa to give it extra flavor.

My afternoon snack was a Kashi bar. Yes, it had carbs. BUT at the end of the day, I am only at 77 carbs for the day. I did have a glass of white wine so that brought my totals up. In between meals and snacks I had hot green tea. That way I didn't snack all day long.

I don't know what is considered "low carb", but I figure if I reduce my carb intake then I can lose weight. I am a carb addict. Normally when I track my numbers my carb numbers are way over. The last 2 days I have been under by quite a bit. I am basing it on what livestrong says I should be eating a day.

"low carb" is usually under 50... but you'll see progress with under 100g. that's generally what I aim for. Be sure and add in healthy fats so your body has something to burn or else you'll feel crappy. nuts/nut butters/healthy oils/ are the way to go... or BACON! if you have calorie allowances. When I eat this way, I eat way less calories so there's always room for BACON! lol

[Deleted]

Sarcasticgirl have you tried Elana's Pantry website? She has a few breads that are GF. One she calls Paleo Bread. I made that a couple morning ago and I think it is really good. I put a little bit of blueberry jam on it. The jam doesn't contain any sugar or artificial ingredients.

[sarcasticgirl]

angel: I haven't seen that website before. I'll have to try out the bread. The baked goods I've done in the past were mostly coconut flour and just weren't good at all. The banana bread that I love is made mostly with almond flour, so maybe that's the key for me. more almond flour, less coconut flour!

[Deleted]

The Paleo bread that is on her sight that she makes is mostly Almond flour. It only has like 3 TBS of coconut flour. I posted the recipe in the recipe section of this board since I liked it so much.

[sarcasticgirl]

I printed it so I can take it home and try it out.

The banana bread from here is really good:

paleomg.com/banana-bread-french-toast/

I subbed olive oil for walnut oil since i wanted to test the recipe without too much investment.

[Deleted]

Ooo that looks really good. I don't have walnut oil. I wonder if I can use coconut oil?

[Jaguar]

Sept 4, 2012 10:58:21 GMT -5 sarcasticgirl said:

I don't have any primal or paleo cookbooks, but there are lots of online recipe sites... some of my faves:

paleomg.com/
civilizedcavemancooking.com/

This isn't a momentary diet for me... it's a lifestyle choice. For everyone who says "I can't give up pasta/sugar/flour"
well... that's simply not true. You can. It's just a matter of not wanting to.
The thing is. after a few weeks of eating meat, veggies, fruits, nuts and little dairy... I don't crave sugar or pasta. I want MEAT MEAT MEAT!
I am not Super strict... i do have allowances now and then, but few things are as good in reality as they are in my head. fresh baked bread will always be AMAZING... a ho-ho: not so much.

I haven't had great luck with paleo or primal breads. Most have made me want to gag. I did finally find a pretty great banana bread recipe that even my DH loved... he didn't even know that it lacked real flour and sugar!

Thank You ~ That banana bread looks divine.

[sarcasticgirl]

Sept 4, 2012 23:49:43 GMT -5 @angel33 said:

Ooo that looks really good. I don't have walnut oil. I wonder if I can use coconut oil?

yup... you can. a friend used it and it was just fine.

[seriousthistime]

I just began Atkins on Monday. It is the only diet I've been able to lose a significant amount of weight with. I am down 4 pounds in less than a week. I would like to be down to 5 pounds this Monday. (I love the initial weight loss, wish it would keep up!) I am back to going to the gym three days a week too, for an hour at a time on the treadmill.

I notice that these posts are from long ago. How are each of you doing? Did you lose the weight you expected to lose? How hard was it to stick to your diet?

I hope to lose 10 pounds per month for the next three months. It's an aggressive weight loss goal, but possible even with other diets. I have two special occasions this spring, and I refuse to be hauling around this thirty pounds of midriff bulge.

[Iggy aka IG]

SeriousTT, I started low carb Jan 2, 2012 and lost 33 pounds last year. It works if you track carbs closely, IMHO. I am metabolicly resistant, and track calories also.

[Cj]

Along with staying away from processed carbs, same goes for meats (cold cuts, cured meats, smoked, processed fruits, jellies...) basically anything that isn't fresh. Try to stick with gluten free recipes. And eating primal is simply eating fresh "whole" foods like, grilling a chicken breast and having a salad to go with. Nothing too hard about it really. I've been at or below my target weight for a couple years now since being properly diagnosed with hypo-thyroid. If you are having trouble maintaining or losing weight and you are following a strict diet, you should at least have the blood work done to know if your endocrine system is working properly.